Air-distributer for lamp-burners



J. K. DAVIS.

AIR DISTRIBUTEB FOR LAMP BURNERS. APPLICATION FILED mmza. 1919.

1,337,825. P ten ed pr- '20, 1920.

um-u foz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH K. DAVIS, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 SCOVILL MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF AIR-DISTRIBUTER FOB. LAMP-BURNERS.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Apr, 20, 1920,

Application filed January 28, 1919. Serial No. 273,571.

To all who-m 2'2. may 001m Be it known that I, JosnPH K. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vaterbury, in thefcountyof New Haven and State of Connecticut, have, invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Air Distributers for Lamp Burners, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

The flame of lamps burning coal-oil or kerosene and using the ordinary burners, is often flickering and unsteady, due in large measure if not wholly to strong induced aircurrents, and many devices, known as airdistributers, have been introduced for correcting this. Some of these devices have been applied to the wiclctube of the burner, and others to the dome or cone or other part of the burner. All such" devices require cleaning at times, and accessibility to them is not always free, especially when they are fixtures.

The object of the present invention is to provide a very simple device, adapted to break up the air-currents and thus free the flame from flickering and unsteadiness, and also adapted to be readily placed upon and removed from the wick-tube at pleasure.

The invention consists of a so-called airdistributer, of skeleton form, preferably blanked out of sheet metal, although it may be made of wire, bent to clasp the wick-tube with suflicient firmness to retain its place thereon, and having flared portions arranged alongside thewick-tube, but spaced apart therefrom and standing at about the level of the top of'the wick-tube or base of the flame so as to intercept the air-currents and cut or break them up, the device being readily applied to and removed'from the wick-tube by any one, as I will proceed now to explain and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lamp burner with the cone or dome in section, showing the sheet metal form of the device in position. Fig. 2 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view, partly in section, with the cone or dome removed. Fig. 4 is a plaif view of the blank of the sheet-metal construction before folding or bending. Fig. 51s a perspective View of the sheet metal device detached. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a wire construction, and Fig. 7 is an edge view thereof.

The burner 1 herein shown is of a well known type and needs no further description to render the present invention intelligible, except to say, that it has a flat wicktube 2 extending into and inclosed by the dome or cone 3, which is hinged at d so as to be movable to cover and uncover the wicktube.

The device of this invention herein designated 5, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, is blanked out ofsheet metal, preferably steel, in the form shownin'Fig; l, and then it is folded upon itself along a transverse median line so as to form'substantially parallel spacedapart portions 6 which extend to a point about where the side members are nearest or converge, and then the free ends 7 are flared. and their transverse terminals 8 returned, that is to say, bent inwardly, as seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. In side view, Fig. 1, and in top plan view, Fig. 3, the outline is substantially of X form, while in edge view, Fig. 2, the outline is substantially of Y form. The parallel portion forms a socket which is sufliciently elastic to grip the wicktube and hold the device steadily in place, and yet allow it to be easily placed and removed by any one. The flared sides and their transverse terminals cross the path of the air-currents and break them up or cut them and thus prevent flickering or unsteadiness of the flame.

The device when made of steel may be brass-plated or otherwise finished.

The modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 embodies substantially the same structural characteristics as just described, excepting that wire is substituted for sheet metal, and

the upper ends are not returned. Copper wire is excellent for this construction, especially as it will not collect soot, but it has a tendency in use to become soft and is readily deformed in removing it from and replacing it upon the wick-tube. The steel or blanked form will collect soot more or less readily, but it is capable of being readily cleaned, and in addition it is hard and retains its shape and may be economically manufactured.

Other variations are deemedas within the principle of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

The peculiar shape of these devices is the result of experiments. The efficiency of the wick-tube gripping portion would seem to be obvious; but it is to be said that the upper spreading portion of the device serves to break up the air-currents in such way that flickering or unsteadiness of the flame is practically stopped. The lower portion being in contact .with the wicketube and the ,upper portion being near the flame, the

whole device becomes thoroughly heated and acts upon. theburmng fluid to generate gas or vapor, thus producing rather more light than a burner withoutthe device. Because .tllhClQVlCG does mcrease the candle power and fortrimming-thewick, and as easily restored, or replaced; and in these respects it issuperior to those devices that-arefixed tosome portion of the burner, such as its cone or dome.

The device may be'made not only of sheet metal or round wire, as shown, but flat steel wire or wire of other cross-section may be employed in the manufacture of the device.

1. An air-distributer for lamp burners, comprising a metal skeleton having its lower portion made substantially parallel and forming a socket to gripthe wick-tube of the burner, and its upper'portion'fiared to cut the air-current at about the base of the flame.

2. An air-distributer for lamp burners, comprising a .sheet'metal skeleton having a parallel sided lower socket portion, to grip the wick-tube, and 1a flared 'upper portion adapted to stand in the .zone of-thebase of substantially parallel relation to grip the wick-tube'of the burner, andithence flaring outwardly and havingstheir transverse ter;

.minals returned.

In testimony Whereof'I have hereunto-set .my hand this 27th day ofiJan. A.;D. 1919. 

